


Similarities

by arysthaeniru



Category: Tennis no Oujisama | Prince of Tennis
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-11-04
Updated: 2014-11-04
Packaged: 2018-02-24 02:03:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,288
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2564165
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/arysthaeniru/pseuds/arysthaeniru
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After Nationals, Sanada spots one member of Yamabuki whom he isn't eager to see.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Similarities

On the first day of Nationals, Rikkai decimated their opposition in straight sets, in less than hour. It was faster than Yanagi had really predicted, which meant that their bus had already left and would not be returning for another hour, leaving Rikkai with very little to do while waiting. Yanagi and Niou had gone to go watch some other schools and their matches, to see if anyone would be a challenge, Marui had gone to find a bathroom, and Jackal, Akaya and Yagyuu were in fierce debate about a popular book that Sanada wasn’t interested in and Yukimura hadn’t read yet.

Which meant that to satisfy his boredom completely, Yukimura had started drawing over Sanada’s palm, his hands shakily making marks as they remembered how to move again. It was painful to watch and Sanada didn’t want to see it, so he looked away from his hand and watched the crowds pass by. It was a humid day in Tokyo and the cicadas were chirping incessantly. Yanagi was probably twitching in irritation, wherever he was. Sanada didn’t like the ambience of Tokyo very much, the city-life had never really suited him.

He’d always preferred the Kanagawa’s atmosphere, the slightly quieter life by the beach. Still, this year the Nationals had centred themselves in Tokyo and that meant that he had to be here.

He was starting to maybe doze a little with his eyes open, when he spotted a familiar head of blue-black hair, with a green headband laced through it. But Yukimura was still drawing on his hand, he could feel the ink seeping through his fingers, so…

“Yukimura, is that your cousin?” asked Sanada, as he motioned towards the Yamabuki entourage, all of whom looked dejected.

Yukimura’s eyes looked up from his labourous task and his frown instantly turned into a sunny smile. “Tai-chan!!” He yelled as he lifted his arms. “Taichi!” he called again, with a grin on his face, that Sanada hadn’t seen in a long time.

The shorter boy from the Yamabuki crew turned around and his own face brightened, as he broke away from the Yamabuki group and sprinted towards Yukimura, his headband slipping over his eyes in excitement. The rest of Rikkai paused in their conversation as they watched Dan Taichi throw himself into Yukimura’s lap, in an exuberant hug.

Yukimura laughed as he pulled the other boy close. “It’s been some time, Taichi.” he said, with a warm grin.

“Yeah! Mum wouldn’t let me take the trip all the way up to Kanagawa during schooltime, which sucked, desu!” said Dan, with a warmer smile. “But when did you get out of hospital, desu? I didn’t know at all!”

By this point, Yamabuki had drawn up close to Dan, looking quite befuddled, but nodded vaguely at Rikkai. Sanada only knew the name of Sengoku, whom he remembered from Senbatsu the year before, He just nodded to the redhead, who gave a slightly confused grin back.

“I got out last week, that’s probably why. Mum’s been so busy with cleaning and everything, she probably didn’t get time to text you lot.” said Yukimura, as he ruffled his hand through Dan’s hair. “Did you get taller on me?”

“You’ve been out of the hospital for a week, and you’re playing tennis already, desu?” demanded Dan, a concerned frown on his childish face, as he ignored Yukimura’s comment about his height. Sanada was fairly sure that the midget hadn’t gotten any taller since the last time he’d been in Kanagawa, which was why he’d avoided the question.

“Not playing, just watching. How did Yamabuki do, anyway?” asked Yukimura, addressing his question to all of the team. Sanada tossed Yukimura a slightly skeptical look for that lie. He’d been demanding that Sanada play him after the team practises, and that Sanada keep serving at him until he could reach the ball. Just yesterday, they’d both collapsed in exhaustion after one practise, that was hardly ‘not playing tennis’.

Still, he wasn’t about to say anything about Yukimura’s weakness in front of Rikkai, let alone another team. “Yamabuki lost in straight sets.” said Sengoku, with a self-deprecating smile. “I guess we aren’t quite up for Nationals just yet.”

“You lost your match, Tai-chan?” asked Yukimura, looking quite surprised, as he adjusted Dan’s headband.

“I didn’t play, desu.” said Dan, with a slightly embarrassed smile. “I’m not on the actual team, remember?”

“Didn’t that delinquent that you liked leave though?” asked Yukimura, with a slightly curious look. “Couldn’t you have taken his place?”

Dan’s eyes were definitely looking like a caged animal and his smile became more fixed. “No, Sei-chan, the senpai-tachi were playing.” he said, with a little more firmness to his tone and without the cutesy tone to his words. Sanada could see Yamabuki’s weirded-out looks at this and he wondered how often that Dan ever spoke like he wasn’t an elementary schooler.

Yukimura seemed to be look more amused than anything as he pinched Dan’s cheeks. “Well, once Nationals are over, come over to Kanagawa some day. Mother and Min-chan want to see you. And we can play a match again. Perhaps you can beat Sanada again, that was fun last time.” he said, cheerily, revealing probably what Dan had been trying to hide.

Dan’s eyes became almost dejected at those words and all of Yamabuki took a slight inhale of breath as they stared at Sanada and Dan, with varying looks of shock. Plant head and Panda-glasses looked particularly shaken by those words and even Sengoku’s eyes were wide. Sanada tugged his hat down over his eyes and he could definitely hear Jackal and Akaya snickering behind him. He wondered how long they’d be laughing after they played a match with Yukimura’s cousin.

“Yeah, maybe we can. Bye bye, Sei-chan.” said Dan, as he pushed himself away with Yukimura, with a smile that promised death. Yukimura met it with suppressed amusement and the moment that Dan pulled Yamabuki out of earshot, Yukimura burst into laughter.

“Did you have to mention that?” asked Sanada, immediately, with a scowl. He didn’t really care about Dan’s deception, but his own pride was injured slightly. 

“Their faces were worth it! And Tai-chan’s going to have a hell of a time explaining why it was he wasn’t playing.” said Yukimura, in between chuckles. “I told him that he should have come to Rikkai with me.”

“Tai-chan?” asked Yagyuu, delicately.

“My cousin. Lives in Tokyo. Is a bit of an idiot about respect for elders and all that, worse than Sanada some days. He can play better than all of Yamabuki, but he thought they were too nice to overthrow.” said Yukimura, with a slightly disgusted look. “Such a waste of talent. According to Renji, he’s barely played all year.”

Akaya looked interested by the description of the younger boy. “He’ll be buchou of Yamabuki next year, right?” he asked, with a speculative look in his eyes.

“He’ll be competition, yes.” said Yukimura, with a pleased smile.

“You can beat him if you keep working hard.” said Sanada, with a slight cough. “I was mostly just surprised by his power. Don’t be surprised, and you can win.”

“He wiped the floor with you because your footwork was awful that day.” said Yukimura, dismissively. “But yes, Tai-chan’s better than he looks. Not better than me, though.” he hastened to add, and Yagyuu smirked slightly in reaction.

~~~~

After Rikkai’s loss in the Nationals, Dan Taichi comes over to play some matches with Yukimura. Yukimura and Dan play doubles together against Yanagi and Sanada. Sanada and Yanagi lose dreadfully, and he swears that the smirk on Dan’s face is more evil than Yukimura’s when Yukimura makes them run over two-hundred suicide drills.

**Works inspired by this one:**

  * [the curious case of a certain dan taichi](https://archiveofourown.org/works/9529112) by [thefierydagger](https://archiveofourown.org/users/thefierydagger/pseuds/thefierydagger)




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